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Two Miami men posed as golfers to steal from East Coast clubs, Springfield Police say

Galloping Hill golf course in Kenilworth

Golfers play at Galloping Hill golf course in Kenilworth in this file photo. Two Florida men have been charged in connection with the theft of credit cards from the locker room of the Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield in late June.
(Patti Sapone/The Star-Ledger)

SPRINGFIELD — Two men suspected of posing as golfers and stealing credit cards from golf club locker rooms up and down the East Coast have been arrested.

Oscar Cabrera, 33, was arrested by Millburn Police. Luis Paz, 34, was taken into custody in Queens, N.Y. Both men are believed to be from Miami.

The thefts were very sophisticated, police said, noting that the suspects dressed in golfing attire that included golf caps, golf shoes and golf gloves on one hand.

On June 30, credit cards were found to have been stolen from the lockers of three separate members at the Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, police said.

Springfield Police Detective James Mirabile investigated and found that some of the stolen credit cards were used at stores in the Township of Union, where $8,000 worth of gift cards were purchased by the unknown thieves, police said. Another $8,000 purchase was attempted at the Target Store in the Vauxhall section of the Township of Union.

The latter attempt was aborted when the credit card used had been flagged for suspicious activity and the suspects fled the store, police said. Surveillance video verified that the people suspected of breaking into lockers at the golf club were the same people who fled from the store, police said

Working in conjunction with the golf club security personnel, investigators obtained surveillance video showing two people and the white SUV with New York license plates they were using.

Springfield Police

Based upon the police investigation, Detective Mirabile identified both suspects. Their whereabouts weren't known, but police believed them to be in the area of New York City.

"Based upon their attire as to be able to blend in with players at the club, it was obvious to my detectives that these suspects may have committed similar crimes in the past and/or would commit additional crimes at other golf courses," said Springfield Police Chief John Cook. "The New Jersey Golf Association was contacted so that the information on these suspects and the vehicle could be shared with golf courses throughout New Jersey as well as police departments statewide."

In early July, detectives were able to link the same two suspects to identical golf course thefts at locations in New Jersey, New York state and Greenwich, Conn. They also found that identical crimes had taken place earlier in the year at golf courses in Florida and South Carolina.

On Saturday, July 20, the suspects showed up at the Canoe Brook Country Club in Short Hills, but were recognized by employees because of the alert issued by Springfield Police.

One suspect was apprehended by Millburn police, who turned him over to Springfield Police. He was identified as Cabrera. The second man fled the area in the white van that had been spotted in Springfield.

On Aug. 1, officials believed the second suspect was in Queens, N.Y. Mirabile and Detective Anthony Voorhees went to New York and, with the aid of the NYPD Fugitive Unit, arrested Paz.

Cabrera was held in the Union County Jail in Elizabeth with bail set at $200,000. Paz is in custody in New York, awaiting extradition back to New Jersey.

Both men were charged with multiple counts of theft by deception, credit card theft, credit card fraud, burglary and criminal trespass, and are tentatively due in Union County Superior Court on Aug. 9.

Federal law enforcement agencies have been contacted, police said, because the two men appear to be part of an organized theft and fraud crew specifically targeting golf courses located along the eastern seaboard.